Africa Benin As part of the Vodun Days 2026 event in Ouidah, in Maro Square paintings of the Egungun are on display, depicting them dancing: the Vodun Days Artistic Direction has chosen to go beyond live performance adding an exhibition of paintings of the Egungun
Oceania Nauru 80 Nauruan students in Fiji participated in the 38th quarterly meeting of the Intergenerational Trust Fund held in Suva, Fiji; the NTF was established in 2015 to contribute to the long-term budgetary self-reliance of the Republic of Nauru until 2035
Oceania Fiji Skilled health workers from Fiji and other Pacific Island countries are now included in Pacific Australia Labor Mobility scheme: drawn to Australia to fill shortages in care sector for a much higher salary, they create a critical need of labor back home
Europe Poland Psychologists urged holiday digital detox to protect mental health: putting smartphones aside for two or three days during the holidays brings measurable mental and physical benefits, lower stress and better sleep
America Saint Lucia To strengthen national capacity in rapid HIV and syphilis testing and improving the quality of laboratory services across Saint Lucia, a Master Trainers Training Programme was held as part of the OECS Global Fund HIV/TB Project
Africa South Africa As beaches in Durban closed yesterday, one of the busiest beach days of the festive season, it took the police two hours to actually remove people from the surf; swimming after 6pm is prohibited by municipal laws as lifeguard shifts end
Oceania Tonga Laulea Beach in Fatumu, known for its strong currents, has been strictly closed to the public until after the New Year's holiday; Police Deputy Commissioner, said the measure aims to prevent drownings, following the death of a 40-year-old male last month
Asia Saudi Arabia Schools in Eastern Province and Hafr Al-Batin governorate have switched to distance learning via the Madrasati platform yesterday, following reports from the National Center for Meteorology of rainfall in the region and snowfall in Tabuk area
Africa Botswana Botswana-born visual artist Totang Motoloki unveiled mixed–media works that redefine 'Home' using recycled street tins and traditional Tswana techniques; the solo exhibition at Lannieus Sanitas gallery in Gaborone is part of contemporary Art Botswana 2025
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia’s parliament opened way to building a disposal facility for radioactive waste from the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia and from domestic hospitals and industry in Cerkezovac, only 3km away from the border with BiH and the Una National Park
Europe Iceland Federation of fishers disagrees with new mackerel agreement that reduces Iceland’s share, pointing out that the agreement does not constitute a comprehensive coastal states agreement, as both Greenland and the European Union are excluded
Europe United Kingdom The number of flu cases in the UK reached a record high for this time of year: they rose by 55% last week, with an average of 2.660 patients per day ending up in hospital
Europe Andorra "BULLYING PURSUIT", a video game born in Andorra to curb bullying, has been presented with David Aguilar aka "Hand Solo", experts and academics; it is meant to create links between players and raise awareness on the incidence of bullying at school
America Haiti Newly published electoral decree has drawn strong reactions at home and abroad: internationally welcomed as a necessary step to restart democratic processed after four years without elections, locally criticized as the adoption process looks idealistic